The Rural Voice, 2000-11, Page 24LET THERE BE LIGHTS
New barns or old, new options allow you to
throw more light on your working
environment ... and cut energy costs
By Sandra Orr
New fluorescent bulbs (above in a poultry barn) last longer and save energy.
The length of daylight provided modern dairy barns (below) can affect the
productivity of the animals.
20 THE RURAL VOICE
Where lights are on for most
of the day, cost of
operation and ease of
maintenance is a priority. High
intensity discharge lights such as
metal halide and high pressure
sodium are being used in some large
barns where time and energy savings
are important.
Housing engineers suggest the
farmer install the best lighting system
the first time, especially in pig and
chicken barns, as not too many things
pay back faster than good quality,
efficient lighting.
When ceiling heights are high, up
to 20 feet, new -tech metal halides are
highest cost, up to $500 each, but
they provide natural lighting in dark
conditions. Lasting 12,000 to 15,000
hours at 300-400W, metal halides are
easy to maintain, and the farmer has
to get the ladder out less often.
For dairy barns, a mixture of
halides in the middle of the ceiling
and fluorescents around the edge
works well. Ron McDonald of Ag
Biro, a farming engineer, says 120
fluorescents is equal to 20 halides in
lighting power. Ron was formerly
employed with Ontario Hydro
customer service, and his Guelph
company doesmabout 75 barn interior
designs a year.
The most popular lighting for
barns is fluorescent which is four to
five times more efficient than
incandescent. Older barns with 120 -
volt wiring can take advantage of
newer lighting systems, and the
payback should be less than a year.
Compact fluorescent is the most
economical, lasting about 10,000
hours. A 11W bulb costs $12 - $14.
Dimmable fluorescent at 11W or
15W are $20 U.S. ordered through
Farm Tech. A case of 12 usually has
a 10 per cent discount. .
Vapour -resistant fluorescent
costing about $65 - $75 each are used
for swine, and the tubes are covered
for protection against gases and
moisture when washing ceilings.
Wire guards are available for
protection against breakage.
Incandescents are found to be
more reliable on dimmer switches,
with a controller costing about $300.
Low wattage incandescents lasting
about 2,500 hours can be set on
timers, to emulate sunrise and sunset.